


Atheon's End

by DarkJediQueen



Series: The Guardians [26]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV), Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Crossover, Death, Genocide, M/M, Science Fantasy, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-10-03
Packaged: 2019-07-23 10:42:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16157411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkJediQueen/pseuds/DarkJediQueen
Summary: The Vex are trying to take control. It takes the whole of the Fireteam BAU to end what they have planned.





	Atheon's End

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rivermoon1970](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rivermoon1970/gifts).



> **Year** : The Far Future
> 
>  **Spoilers** : Destiny: Through D2: Warmind, Criminal Minds: Up Through Season 13
> 
>  **Notes** : Trying my hardest to make sure that it'll make sense, with time, for people who don't play Destiny but you can find more information at the [Destiny Wikia](http://destiny.wikia.com/wiki/Destiny_Wiki).
> 
>  **Beta** : Grammarly

Spencer watched as the rest of his fireteam filed in. Ikora Rey was the one to call the meeting of the Vanguard along with the rest Spencer's larger Fireteam. It would take six to do what was needed to be done on Venus. Spencer's G.A.R.C.I.A. floated into the room with a jaunty wave to her floating. Spencer had talked to Ikora Rey, and she was going to present what he found as her own findings and see if maybe it would put Zavala off of Spencer's trail. She had not been shocked that Spencer kept every single transmission that G.A.R.C.I.A. made to look at on his own. Spencer didn't trust easy, and Ikora knew that. 

"Welcome," Ikora said. 

"It's really early. Why are we here?" Rossi asked. 

"Beneath Venus, evil stirs," Ikora said. 

"It's full of Vex, of course, evil is stirring," Cayde-6 said. 

Spencer kept his face impassive, but he could see Aaron and Prentiss trying to hold back a smirk at their Vanguard's comment. 

"According to the data we recovered from the Archive as well as other information that Guardians Hotchner and Reid have retrieved, we have found where several Guardians have gone and never returned. The Vault of Glass. A wound in time, a landmark to the Guardians. After much discussion with myself, I think that only Guardians such as you would be up to the challenge." 

"What exactly do we need to do?" Morgan asked.

"Get inside of the Vault of Glass and stop whatever the Vex are doing in there. We are unsure of what exactly they are doing but it cannot be good for the fate of this galaxy, ourselves, or the Traveler," Ikora said. 

"None of my people who have been going over the information we have gathered have come across any of this," Zavala said.

"No, why would they. They are not Warlocks. That you have Titans going over it all smacks Warlocks in the face. This is our realm of information." 

Spencer kept his face impassive as he stood behind Ikora and off to the side. Zavala looked at him, and Spencer turned his head to stare back at him. 

"You, unlike the others, even your own partner, do not look surprised."

"No, I'm not. Ikora came to me and asked me for my feel of things. Given that out of all Guardians who are active at the moment, I have spent the most time on Venus since the return of the Vex."

"Kabr and Praedyth are lost to us because of the Vault of Glass, and you want to send our best in?" Zavala asked, but he didn't say that to Ikora but to Spencer. 

"We've never sent a six-man fireteam in before," Cayde said, and it was like he was trying to diffuse the situation that he didn't quite understand what was wrong but he knew that something was. 

"Speak your words, Commander Zavala," Spencer said. 

"Ikora, tell me. Who came to who?" Zavala asked. 

"I came to her,' Spencer said. 

"Reid did come to me, but I verified all of the information that he showed me with what we have in our Archives."

"How have you found out all of this?" Zavala asked. 

Aaron was walking toward Spencer, wanting to back him up. 

"It's not hard since my ghost transmits most of it. She makes sure that I have a copy. It's not like it's secret information, Zavala. We fight hard for that information, and I can read at twenty thousand words per minute on the screen that I have. The connections sometimes take longer as my brain processes it but I can still think faster than most Warlocks." 

"Cayde, Ikora," Zavala said, and he waved them toward his end of the table. 

Aaron tugged on Spencer, bringing him back to where the rest of the team was. Morgan looked upset, but Spencer wasn't sure who he was upset with. 

"Everything that your G.A.R.C.I.A. transmits?" Morgan asked.

"No, I made the decision to make sure that he has it all," Morgan's G.A.R.C.I.A. said. 

"She has saved me copies of things for years." Rossi shrugged as he said it. He looked down at where the three Vanguards were talking. "What are we looking at because the information we have retrieved out of Venus has always been over my head."

"I don't know exactly. It's all confusing, and Ikora is right that at least two Guardians have gone missing while looking into the Vault of Glass."

"If," Zavala said as he turned to the fireteam. He waited to go on until Spencer was looking at him. "If we send another fireteam. If we choose not to send you, what would you do?"

"I would go over every single detail that I have learned about what might be happening in the Vault of Glass, and I would stay here to be on comms for when they run into trouble."

"See Zavala I told you that he was not petty," Ikora said with a tone of irritation. It was as far as a non-united front that the three of them did. Spencer knew that the reason the three of them worked, the reason why they had been made a fireteam was because of that. They had three different sets of ways of thinking, and it worked. Just like G.A.R.C.I.A.s Guardians. Every single one of them was very different. Different backgrounds, different periods of time where they had been alive, before the Collapse, after it. Even Prentiss was an Awoken who had memories of her life as an Awoken before coming to Earth.

"Your team is going to Venus. Find a way into the Vault of Glass and destroy whatever is inside of it." 

"Of course," Spencer said in lieu of the "Yes, Sir"s that the rest said. Spencer knew that it would grate on Zavala but he was a hardass who liked things his own way but given everything that was happening around the planets at the moment, it was better if he learned that not everything was going to go the way that he wanted. 

"Gear up," Rossi said. He looked at the digital clock that was in the center of the table. "We leave in half an hour."

"I'll stock rations and water." 

Spencer watched Rossi as he and Aaron left together. Rossi nodded his head at Aaron and then went out the door. Spencer wondered what that was about, but he would deal with it later. 

"You have brass balls," Morgan said to Spencer as he fell into step with him.

"Why?"

"No one stands up to Zavala like that except for Cayde. If I didn't know you were a WArlock, I would think you were a Hunter."

"I hate being put into boxes. Warlocks are not all book nerds. I learned to fight because I had to and I wouldn't change a thing about it. Adaptation has allowed us to evolve past what we were in the beginning. Adapt or die. I learned that the hard way."

"Yeah, when?" Morgan asked. 

Spencer stopped. JJ and Prentiss were behind them while Aaron and Rossi were still in front. All four of them stopped though and stared at Morgan and him. 

"When the Collapse happened it wasn't just one big thing. It was months of travel for us that became Awoken, Morgan. Months of finding people out in the black of space and helping them. Then the Darkness came, and in the wave of the fight between it and the LIght, we were turned into what we are. Then the Hive came, and I learned what it's like to feel fear. I learned how to fight and to kill and to think smarter than them because anything else would be the death of myself and everyone that I loved. It's why I came to Earth to see what was left of Earth and to see if help could be sought from them. When I never came back, that's why the Awoken had stayed apart from us. It's why they have a single Emissary that talks to the Vanguard even though Zavala hates it. The Hive use shadows to move. They use the Darkness in a way that no one else does and that scares me. The Cabal, the Fallen, they just use the Darkness because it's easier to follow it but the Hive are the Darkness. They are the things that go bump in the night that humans used to tell their children about. The Hive are nightmares made flesh, and they have been my nightmares since I first fought them."

Spencer didn't care to say anything else to Morgan. He stormed off, hearing Aaron calling at Morgan to hold. Thankfully, Morgan knew when to back off because he did not come after Spencer. 

* * *

The Waking Ruins was where G.A.R.C.I.A. decided that they should land. There were a few Vex near where they landed but not close enough nor enough of them to actually bother them as they landed. The Ishtar Sink was pretty much overrun by enemies, but with six of them landing there, it was much easier to protect their backs. Morgan and Prentiss had flown with Spencer and Aaron in their ship. It had been a tight fit, but it made it easier to hide two ships instead of five. JJ had fit easily into Rossi ship even though he would have rather had Prentiss with him. 

"So now what?" Rossi asked. 

"See that hill?" Spencer asked pointing up where there was a shining light and a weird bubble protuberance from the wall behind the hill. 

"Yes."

"We get up there." 

"And that's it?" Morgan asked. 

"Oh, no. There is a lot more, but first, we have to get up there. There are guards here who don't want us to."

"Guards?" Morgan and Rossi asked at the same time.

"Praetorians." And as if Spencer's words had brought them there, the sound of enemy fire echoed around the small valley they were in. Spencer looked around and spotted the Praetorian as it was cresting a small hill, intent on taking them out. It looked like a Minotaur but was a lot stronger and harder to kill. 

"We got from all three sides," Aaron said. He started to fire at the Praetorian. "Spencer and I will take the middle, Rossi, and Prentiss you two take the left. JJ, Morgan you take the right. Kill anything that is not us and don't die."

"You got it," Morgan said. 

They split off into their groups. Praetorians were trying to stop them from getting up to the door while Harpies were spawning to help. There was no area that was safe from them. Spencer only paid attention to Aaron as they fought their way up the middle of the room. It was a hard-won fight, but finally, they were making their way up the wall. 

At the top was another Praetorian and it took little time for their combined fire to take it out. There was a circle on the ground, and Spencer stepped up to it and crouched. He knew that Aaron would watch his back as he inspected the ring. Spencer stepped inside of it. There was a thrum of power from it, and then the blocks that were around the base became a little brighter. Nothing though other than that happened. 

"Sync plates," G.A.R.C.I.A. said. 

"Yes. Tell the others to find more. I don't know how many there are."

"You got it, Mon Capitan!" G.A.R.C.I.A. said. 

Spencer stayed in the sync plate and looked to the others. He saw that Morgan and JJ were standing in another and Prentiss was on her side. Rossi was a few steps away guarding a path that was visually blocked from their angle. Spencer kept looking around and found that there was something forming on a platform. 

"A spire." Spencer looked at it and then stepped off of his sync plate. The forming of it didn't pause or even slow down. "G.A.R.C.I.A., hook up our audio."

"There is interference, I think from the sync plates. I can talk to myself, but that's it."

"Tell them that they don't have to stay on the plates it seems but keep them protected." 

"As you wish," G.A.R.C.I.A. answered. 

Spencer laughed at her answer and focused on the charge of electricity that was in the area. He walked to the side that Aaron wasn't on and saw a group of Vex spawning in. More Harpies and a Praetorian. 

The Praetorian fired at Spencer and started up the hill. Spencer kept shooting at it and realized that it was going for the plate. 

"Tell them to protect the plates from the Praetorians," Aaron said loud enough that Spencer could hear him through his helmet. Aaron had figured it out at the same moment as Spencer. 

The second group of Vex to spawn on Spencer's left side had Hobgoblins in it. Thankfully, the spawn points seemed to be halfway between the groups so at least two duos could focus on the enemies. Another Praetorian and two more Harpies spawned. Spencer started to fire at the Praetorian as it charged him, gun firing and then it tried to take Spencer out with a swing. Spencer blinked backward, and it missed him. 

A sound started to echo around the area from behind Spencer. He turned to see a device in front of the metal bubble protrusion. He looked at the sync plate to see that it wasn't active. The Spire was fully formed and going to let them inside it seemed. 

"Up top," Aaron said. 

"On our way," Rossi said. 

"I'm glad it was just the sync plates that were giving us trouble," G.A.R.C.I.A. said. 

"I agree," Spencer said. 

The sound was getting louder, and Spencer listened as it sounded like metal crunching inside the bubble protrusion. After another minute, the metal shell started to move and an opening formed. Morgan and Rossi took off into it with Spencer and JJ on their heels. Aaron and Prentiss would take up the rear. 

Morgan and Rossi were running very far ahead while the other four took their time, waiting to see about traps. It was a long underground tunnel that took several minutes to transverse. Spencer's HUD popped up with a name as they neared what looked like the end. The Trial of Kabr. Rossi and Morgan were waiting on them at what looked like a chasm. 

Rossi looked at Spencer like he was waiting for Spencer to tell him what to do. Spencer stepped up to the edge of the chasm. He looked at Aaron who nodded his head. 

"Everyone stay up here. G.A.R.C.I.A., you too. If I fall, only then can you come after me."

"Okay," G.A.R.C.I.A. whispered, and she sounded like she didn't want to do it but Spencer knew that she would. 

Spencer turned to look down into the chasm and then up again at Aaron only to see what looked like a path that the darkness hid. He gently pushed Aaron away, and there was a path. "Look."

Spencer started into the path only to have Rossi overtake him followed by Rossi. It was a long tunnel that was dark and went downward at a very steady angle. After a while in it, Spencer's HUD changed from The Trial of Kabr to Templar's Well. Spencer knew what the TEmplar was and it wasn't good. They came out at a lower point in the chasm, and this time there were platforms that allowed them to jump across the chasm. Morgan ran off the edge first and landed on the first platform. One by one they went, only once the other was safely on the platform did the next go.

Platform by platform they moved like that. It wrapped around a wall at one point and when Spencer saw what was waiting on them on the other side, a vast expansive area that looked like it was set up for traps, he gasped. Spencer wasn't looking forward to whatever trial waited for them in that area. There was a jut of the platform that stuck out that would allow them to run and jump across it but the distance was so great between the two platforms that Spencer wasn't sure that they would all make it. 

"One at a time," Rossi said. 

"Agreed," Prentiss said. Everyone else nodded their heads. 

Morgan took off at a run first. He gave it his all as he jumped. He landed with about a ten-foot clearance on the other side. Not everyone would be able to match that though. Rossi was next, and Spencer estimated eight feet for him. JJ ran across next. She had barely two foot. Everyone who was across scattered to the sides, not going far into the area at all.

Aaron laid his hand on Spencer's shoulder. Spencer felt the butting of Aaron's helmet into his. Aaron let go seconds later, and Spencer ran at the edge of the platform. He watched as the edge came up and with just space for a single foot, he stepped and shoved as hard as he could. It took three blinks for Spencer to make it across and he landed with about five feet to spare. Too short of a distance in Spencer's liking. 

Spencer stepped to where JJ was standing, and she shuffled closer to him. Spencer watched as Aaron took off at a run at the edge. Aaron landed with ten feet like Morgan and then Prentiss was right behind with the same distance. The Hunters and their jumping was the envy of nearly everyone else. 

There was nothing in the area. The six of them looked, but no one got too far from another. Then there was a roaring, and a machine popped up near where they had landed. Next was a considerable conflux that appeared in the middle of the area. Spencer kept looking though. Then the ground shook. Spencer looked where it had originated to see the ground glowing from an attack. He stepped closer to the edge and peeked around it. There was the Templar. It was a colossal Hydra that looked mean as hell. There was a shield all around it, and Spencer could see that the shots that Morgan and Rossi fired at it did nothing. 

"Just hide," Aaron said. 

Seconds later, more Vex spawned in and started to attack them. Goblins and Hobgoblins were everywhere. Automatically they fell into the same pattern they had been in outside. Spencer and Aaron defended the middle and helped with the sides while Morgan and JJ defended the one side and Rossi and Prentiss the other. It took a few waves for Spencer to realize that the Vex were trying to get to the COnflux that was forming in the center. He watched as one got close and it looked like it started to disappear before he killed it. 

"Don't let them get to the conflux!" Spencer yelled. 

"What the fuck!" Morgan yelled and then Spencer heard the words that he hated to hear. 

"Guardian down!" G.A.R.C.I.A. yelled. 

Spencer looked at Aaron and got a nod from him. Spencer ran to where Morgan had been, the blue dot with an X on it telling him where Morgan was down. JJ was pinned down by a few Goblins and a Hobgoblin. Morgan's body was in a swirling mass of green. Spencer didn't get close, but just beyond him, in a dark doorway a Vex came out. It was headless, and it's body giving off sparks. Spencer had never seen a Vex like it. It ran right at Spencer firing its gun wildly like Goblin did when it was headless. In fact, the Vex looked like a headless Goblin, but there was something different about it. He was about to draw his knife when it reminded him of a Thrall, the kind that exploded. Spencer jumped back and looked for a high point to get onto. Spencer blinked up onto a jutting bit of rock, and just as he got on top, the Vex reached him, and it kind of pushed in on its own body and exploded, leaving a swirling green mass of Vex radiolarian fluid. 

"Shit. Okay if a Vex charges at you with its head already off, don't let it get close. It explodes. It's what killed Morgan. It leaves a puddle of radiolarian fluid that dissipates after a few minutes." Spencer looked where the puddle that was around Morgan's body was gone. Spencer jumped down missing the puddle at the bottom of where he was and ran to Morgan to protect G.A.R.C.I.A. while she resurrected him. 

"Those explode," Morgan said as soon as he was alive again.

"Yeah, I got that." Spencer nodded toward the other puddle. "If it's headless before you fire at it, kill it before it gets to you."

"Yeah."

"Some form of fanatic. Kind of reminds me of the suicide bombers on Earth of Old," Spencer said. 

"Fanatic is a good name for the fuckers," Prentiss said. 

"No kidding," JJ said. 

"Keep an eye on that door. That's two so far." Spencer ran back to where he had been helping with the middle. He saw a Fanatic spawn near where Rossi was. Rossi tossed a grenade at it and ran backward. The grenade went off, and it caught the Fanatic on fire. After a few seconds, it exploded. 

That went on for a long while, stopping the Vex from entering the Conflux while dodging the Fanatics that rushed at the team. 

"Oh, no," G.A.R.C.I.A. said. 

"What?" Aaron asked. 

"The Templar. There is data in the air, and I can only understand some of it. It's a Ritual of Negation, and he's preparing for it."

"Eyes up," Aaron said. 

Spencer watched the Conflux in the center disappear and then something to his left drew his eye, and he saw that it was another Conflux. He looked at the same spot on the other side of the place and saw that there was one there as well. 

"Stop Vex from getting into it!" Aaron yelled. Aaron pointed Spencer to the side where JJ and Morgan were while he got closer to where Rossi and JJ were. Spencer helped cover his two teammates. 

Everything was a repeat of what had happened with the first Conflux except for there were two of them and a lot more enemies, especially the Fanatics. JJ and Morgan focused on the Vex that were coming out of the door at the end of the little wing that was behind the Conflux while Spencer worried about the ones that spawned in the middle and tried to come around from behind them. There were so many of them that it was hell for a few minutes.

"The Templar is preparing another ritual of negation!" G.A.R.C.I.A. yelled when the Vex stopped coming for a few minutes, letting them catch their breath. 

Spencer ran back to the area where he and Aaron had been protecting. It gave him a good line of sight on everything. The air started to fill with static, and Spencer turned to see a Conflux there behind him and Aaron. A quick look showed that there were two more in the same spots as before. Spencer walked to an area behind and to the left of the Conflux while Aaron did the same to the right. It gave them a line of sight of enemies wherever they would come from because there was none were coming from behind them. 

It was hell again as Vex appeared everywhere that they could and took off toward Confluxes while Fanatics tried to suicide bomb them. There was little time to do anything but kill and watch the backs of whoever Spencer could see. 

Then the Confluxes disappeared, and even more, Vex appeared, Minotaurs with them. Spencer settled in at a high point and fired at everything that moved that wasn't a fireteam member. Silence followed. 

Spencer dropped to the ground to get his breath back, his eyes never stopping moving. Aaron knelt in front of him. 

"How are you doing?" Aaron asked. 

"Fine, go check on the others. I'm just gonna sit here and recover until the Vex throw something else at us."

"Okay." It sounded like Aaron had a smile on his face as he said it. 

Once Spencer had his breath back, and he didn't think that he was going to freeze up with is muscles overworked, he started to look around. First with his eyes and then moving around to see everything better. He didn't go deep but stayed at the edges, trying to figure out what to do next. There was something about Oracles, but he wasn't sure what else there was. Or what Oracles were or where they were. The notes were light in everything, Kabr's records on the Vault lacked a great deal, and Spencer was sure it was to stop Guardians who sought glory instead of just defending Humanity from the Darkness. 

"Reid, the air is telling me that we need to destroy the Oracles," G.A.R.C.I.A. said. 

"Spread out," Spencer said. There were six of them they could cover a large range of area. "Destroy an Oracle as soon as it spawns. It will kill us and remove us from the Vault if it's allowed to do what it needs to do."

"You got it," Prentiss said. 

There was the ringing almost like a bell and flares of light in random places as each bell sounded. Spencer saw something forming in front of him, and he started to fire before it could fully develop. He shot nearly an entire clip of his Scout Rifle at it before it blew up. 

"One down," Spencer yelled. He changed the ammo on the gun and started to kill the Vex that were forming to make it harder to destroy the Oracles. 

The bell sounds kept on, and more Vex just kept on coming. 

"Another one bites the dust," Morgan yelled as the sound of an explosion happened. 

Spencer listened as the rest of the team destroyed Oracles and called it out. When there were no more chiming sounds, and the Templar's newest Ritual of Negation happened, Spencer settled down. He played over the sounds that each chime made because each had been different. 

"Stay where the oracle formed," Spencer said. 

"Okay," Aaron said. 

"Each one had a different musical note sound as it spawned. This can't be the only wave like that. There were seven chimes, so there are seven locations. So keep an eye out for the seventh spawn point, and we can work on that one based on who is closest but don't leave your spawn point."

The seventh spawn point ended up being where Spencer and Aaron were. There were two on each side where Morgan and JJ were. Two where Rossi and Prentiss were and then three up in the front area, one in the center and one on each side. Even with the waves of Vex that came with each wave of Oracles, it was easy for the two of them to defend the three spawn points for the Oracles. 

On the seventh wave of Oracles and Vex followed by a lot more Vex and the Ritual of Negation, Spencer heard Morgan exclaim. Spencer felt something on his skin, even under his armor. He wondered what it was until Morgan spoke. 

"I didn't get it. I had a Fanatic and a Minotaur on me, and I didn't get it called out in time," Morgan said. More Vex started to spawn, but thankfully no more Oracles did. 

"I've got your area, you two get to the circle of white fire, run through it. Aaron support Rossi and Prentiss. As soon as Morgan and JJ have cleansed themselves, Rossi, Prentiss you go. Aaron as soon as they are cleansed we need to go."

"Why?" Rossi asked. 

Spencer watched as Morgan and JJ ran with all of their might for the circle and ran through it. Spencer felt better when they emerged on the other side and started to run back to where they were. Rossi and Prentiss were quick, getting as close as they could while Morgan and JJ were cleansing themselves. Aaron started to do the same. 

"Oh. Oh! OH! The Templar has given you all a Mark of Negation."

"That's why." 

Spencer counted down in his head as he and Aaron ran to the cleansing circle. As soon as they ran inside of it, the static on his skin stopped, and Spencer breathed a sigh of relief. The firing of a gun at Spencer stopped that relief from lasting that long. He raised his gun and came out firing at the Goblin who took a pot shot at him. 

When the room was cleared of Vex, Spencer waited. Nothing was happening. He took a few seconds to calm down again and reset his brain. He looked around at the others before just closing his eyes and breathing. 

"Reid," Prentiss called out. It sounded like it came from the center of the room, so Spencer stepped that way around the pillar he was behind and looked. There in the area where they had cleansed themselves was a glowing orb. 

"It's a Relic. Don't touch it."

"Why?" Morgan asked as he stepped up. 

"Because as soon as someone picks it up, the Templar is going to come back and try and kill us. Whoever holds it will have a shield generated by the Relic. You won't be able to do much but use it to kill enemies. That will be what drops the shield on the Templar so that we can kill it."

"Really? All of that from that little thing?" JJ asked. 

"Yes. It's called a Relic for a reason. Kabr's Ghost called this all out hell. We need to stay spread out, so we need to decide now who is going to take the Relic." Spencer looked at Morgan and so didn't Aaron. 

"I am the best at dodging and melee rights," Morgan said. 

"Okay, I'll shift to where Morgan was helping JJ. Prentiss, Rossi, help keep an eye on Aaron."

"I'll stay closer to the outer edge," Prentiss said. 

"Minotaurs are going to spawn, more Oracles so listen. The Templar will try and teleport. If he does, the shield will come back. Where the Templar tries to teleport will have a ring around it. Someone needs to get to that ring, that will negate the teleport. When the shield is down, protect yourself and the others but concentrate fire on the Templar. Our best bet is to take him out as soon as possible. A longer fight means getting tired, and then mistakes happen. If you are surrounded by a red globe destroy it. Don't leave it before destroying it that will kill you."

Spencer knew that Aaron should be giving the speech but as Spencer was telling them all what to do it just felt natural to do it. Aaron added nothing and didn't correct Spencer on anything either. 

"Morgan, while you have the Relic and after you drop the shield on the Templar, focus on taking out the small enemies. We will all focus anything that gets close but don't stop and don't die. If you start to run into trouble, yell out." 

Morgan nodded. "Ready?"

"Yes," everyone else said at the same time.

It took seven times of dropping the shield for them to take out the Templar. Stopping it from teleporting proved to be hard as the Templar spawned the Oracles at that point and it made it hard to stop those as well as someone find the teleport point. Morgan got good at launching the attack from the Relic that dropped the shield while then running around the killing the tens of Harpies that spawned. 

When it was all said and done, the whole team without talking to each other ran to the path that opened up. It was only once they were inside the tunnel that was behind the doorway and they were out of sight of that room did they stop. They all dropped down to their asses on the floor. G.A.R.C.I.A. brought out the rations as well as water. The area was safe, so they took off their helmet to take a small break. 

"If that's this part, I hate to see what is coming," Rossi said. 

"A lot of it is very time consuming more than anything else," Spencer said. 

"And Kabr did this alone?" Aaron asked. 

"He had no other Guardian with him, but he stated that he was not alone throughout the whole of the account that I have been able to find. I don't know if he just meant that he had his Ghost or there was something else that was guiding him." Spencer turned his thoughts inward as he went over what was left of the Vault of Glass. Next up was the Gorgons' Labyrinth but for now, he would keep that to himself. They all needed rest, and it seemed safe at the moment to do that. He didn't need to bring bad tidings to them while they were resting. The tunnel that they were in would last a while before the opening of the Labyrinth so he would have time to talk while they were walking. 

Spencer was zoned out, his thoughts inward and it was only Aaron's hand shaking him that brought him out of it. He found that he had eaten his ration and drank his water in that short time, by rote. Spencer looked at Aaron and smiled at him before putting on his helmet. The others were already standing up, getting ready to leave. 

"So what is next, Reid?" Rossi asked as they all started forward with the Titans at the front and the Hunters at the back with the Warlocks in the middle. 

"Gorgons' Labyrinth. We have to be very careful because if they spot us, they will kill us and then our bodies will be taken back to the beginning, everyone's." Spencer kept his voice low even though he was pretty sure that G.A.R.C.I.A. had the feed on their helmets to not broadcast outside. "We need to keep low, and I think that I have the path figured out. G.A.R.C.I.A. was uploaded with it, and as long as the paths of the Gorgons haven't changed, we should be good. G.A.R.C.I.A. run a scan as soon as you see the first Gorgon to make sure."

"I will." G.A.R.C.I.A. sounded solemn which was good, but Spencer hated that she did. He was used to her being perky, despite whatever they were doing at the moment. 

"Morgan, when we get into the labyrinth, I want Spencer to take the lead. You stay with him, but I want his eyes checking things as well."

"Oh, thank the Traveler," G.A.R.C.I.A. said, and she sounded relieved. A few on the team chuckled at that. 

"You got it," Morgan said, and his tone was kind of filled with a little mirth. 

"Yes, Hotch," Spencer said with the nickname slipping from his lips. The tunnel they were in started to widen, and it began to fill with fog, Spencer slowed down, and it wasn't but a few seconds before Morgan stopped altogether and Spencer kept on walking until he was up with him. 

"G.A.R.C.I.A. will mark the points where you need to hold for a Gorgon to pass. We are going to have to climb in a few spots and sometimes sprint across sections. Just keep your eyes and ears open. The Gorgons look like normal Harpies except they kind of glow a white, silver color."

Spencer kept the lead until they came to an area where it was just a large hole. 

"Down?" Morgan asked as he looked over the edge of the platform they were on.

"Yup, carefully and don't go forward. Just down." 

"Prentiss, Hotch, I would say that you two and I got first. Then we can set up defense while the other three go down."

"I agree," Aaron said, and he stepped up to the edge and looked down before jumping down to the next platform. Spencer watched him jump just before the floor and then landed on it. It took just another minute for him to land on the ground far below and call for Prentiss to come down. After that was Morgan followed by JJ and Spencer with Rossi going last, just in case something came from behind. Nothing did though. 

The bottom of the area was hard rock with puddles of brown water that Spencer was glad his boots were sealed because that water had to be teeming with all kind of bacteria that would probably eat his flesh off. Morgan started to the left but Spencer cleared his throat, and Morgan stopped, turning to look.

Spencer pointed to a bit of rock in front of them that they needed to climb up. Spencer led the way and then forward through the narrow tunnel. It opened up to a larger area a few times, and then in a little outcropping there was a mass of black and Spencer stepped up to it. He pointed down. Morgan looked down before he looked at Spencer shaking his head. 

"I never would have seen this."

"Hiding things in plain sight is the best way." Spencer smiled as he said it. 

Morgan jumped down first with Spencer going once he heard the grunt that signified that Morgan had made it down. They waited for the rest of the team to come down before they started forward. There was more muddy water on the floor, and Spencer tried to miss it, but sometimes the stone walking path was too small to not at least step in the water a little. 

It was a tunnel that opened up to a large area and a huge rock that was in front of them. Spencer crept up to the rock slowly, keeping his eye on where the closest Gorgon was. It was to the left, and that was the way that they needed to go. Spencer watched as the Gorgon floated away on its sentry path and Spencer crouched and crept as fast as he could to a little alcove that hid them from the gaze of the Gorgon. 

From there, Spencer looked for the rock that would be needed and spotted it. 

"Mark that rock G.A.R.C.I.A. and tell the others that we need to get up there as quick as possible but stay crouched on the top."

"You got it. Just to be safe, I have disabled communication between each of you. I have told the others. If you need to tell them something, tell me, and I'll tell them. I give off less of an energy signature."

"Okay."

Spencer sprinted across the area and clambered up the rock to reach the point as fast as possible so that the others had enough room to follow him. When Spencer reached the pinnacle, he looked back down to see that Morgan and JJ were on the rock while Rossi, Prentiss, and Aaron were still down below. The Gorgon passed by again, and then Prentiss and Aaron took off across right on the tail of each other. Rossi gave it a three count, and then he ran across. Just as the Gorgon was coming around again, the three of them slipped up the rock. 

From there it was to a rock point that was across the way a little. Spencer jumped to it and walked to the point so that the others could jump to the larger area that was easier to land on. Everyone made it across quickly. Spencer found the jutting rock that he was looking for and saw the area behind it that he was looking for. Spencer laid a hand on Morgan's shoulder to tell him to hold. Morgan patted the hand on his shoulder in acknowledgment. 

Spencer ran up the slight slope of the lower edge of the rock that he had been sitting on and dodge the jutting up rock to land kind of beside and behind it. He turned and waved for Morgan to come across. Spencer watched as Morgan did the same thing to JJ that Spencer had, pressing down on her shoulder to hold. JJ watched Morgan closely as he jumped across. Spencer turned to focus on where they needed to go next to miss the Gorgons. Spencer walked up to the point where he could see and wait. It wasn't a long wait for the team to get up there with him and by then they needed to wait for a Gorgon to go past them underneath the rock. There was no sense in pushing it by trying to go through the labyrinth quickly. 

Once the Gorgon was gone, Spencer fell down ten feet to the next ledge and moved so the others could follow. He waved Morgan down with him, and it was a quick maneuver for all of them to get down on there. Spencer jumped down to the ground and ran along the path the Gorgon had taken until he passed the rock jutting out from the wall that hid the tunnel they needed next. Spencer was glad that Kabr's ghost made good mention of where they needed to go from there. 

A right inside the tunnel and a blasted out wall that they needed to duck under, and Spencer was ready for the next part of the trip through the labyrinth. That tunnel reminded Spencer of a circular staircase, it wound around a point with them going lower to where they were almost below where they had started out but leaving on a different side. The new tunnel was to the right, and Spencer sprinted through it. There were no Gorgons in that part and while time wasn't of the essence, it was best to get through the labyrinth as quickly as possible without being stupid. The tunnel turned left suddenly, and Spencer put on a little more speed until across his HUD the name changed of the location they were in. It didn't say Gorgon's Labyrinth anymore but Vault of Glass. 

"No more Gorgons?" Aaron asked. 

Spencer jumped a little not expecting G.A.R.C.I.A. to take off the mute that quickly. 

"Nope," Spencer said in answer. He walked up to the edge of the rock they were on and looked down to the disappearing and reappearing platforms. He felt the rest of the team line up beside him. 

"I think I might want the Gorgons back," G.A.R.C.I.A. said. 

"It's not that hard," Spencer said.

"Says the genius," Rossi said.

"No, I agree with Reid," Prentiss said. She leaned over a little more to see the last platform appear at the bottom before it disappeared and the one at the top appeared. Spencer ran and jumped over to it. 

"One at a time," Spencer said. 

Spencer made his way down the platforms. Watching for the newest to appear. When he was on a ledge that wasn't going to disappear, he turned to look up. 

"Come on down." 

It took a little while to get them all down because it was safer for them to go one at a time instead of falling to their deaths if someone didn't move in time for the next person to land safely. When JJ was close to the last platform, Spencer turned on the ledge to jump the small break in rock to the other side so that she had the whole of that ledge to land on. When Aaron was making his run on the platforms, Spencer started to lead the others across the ledge to where they needed to go. It wasn't like Aaron couldn't see them. The whole of the ledge was visible, but it would at least get them moving. 

"Slow and steady, watch for the narrowing paths," Spencer said. He concentrated on where he was placing his feet. There was one section that was too narrow to even scoot across with his ass to the wall, so he jumped out in the air and blinked to the ledge on the other side of it. He quickly started to walk again, so the next person had time to do the jumping around it as well and not hit him and bounce off. 

At the end of the ledge was a large area to jump down into and Spencer did and then walked to the opening that they needed. He paused there. 

"Go," Aaron said when he was down with them. 

The opening was dark as was everything behind it. Still, Spencer walked in with his eyes going over the darkness and few splashes of light that showed him where he needed to go. Single file they walked down the entry hall that led to the Glass Throne. The room with the Throne was brightly lit, and it helped guide them down the hall to it. 

"Shit," Morgan said as he entered the throne room. The room was huge and at the far end of it was the Glass Throne. It was in a triangle shape with the hole in the bottom center being the one that they needed to get through but first the Vex that were guarding the room. 

"Those Vex looked different," JJ said. 

"Precursor and Descent Vex. Much like human engineering, things change over time. These are the past and future forms."

"How can they be future forms?" Prentiss asked. 

"In the notes left by Kabr's from when he came in here, Kabr said a lot of things. Like 'In the Vault time frays and a needle moves through it. The needle is the will of Atheon. I do not know the name of the shape that comes after the needle.' I assume that it means that Vex have figured out how to manipulate time. It's what this Vault is for. Another thing that he said was 'You will meet the Templar in a place that is a time before or after stars. The stars will move around you and mark you and sing to you. They will decide if you are real. I drank of them. It tasted like the sea.' He was either quite insane or too much information to process right, but it tells me that he was onto something."

"He does sound quite insane, but there have been things that other Guardians have done that seemed that way until it was all said and done," Rossi said. 

"There is a Gatekeeper at the throne, we need to take it out as well as the rest of the Vex. Fight to the throne." 

Morgan and JJ broke off to go to the right while Rossi and Prentiss went left. Aaron and Spencer fought their way up the middle through Hobgoblins and Goblins from the past and the future to get to the Gatekeeper. As soon as the rest of the threats were destroyed, they both concentrated on the Gatekeeper. It looked like a regular Hydra. 

"Reid, we have sync plates," Prentiss said. 

"Don't go in them. Kill everything first," Spencer said. 

When the room was clear, Spencer found the first sync plate. He looked at the team as they gathered around him. "This is where it gets tricky. I am unsure how Kabr did this alone, but he did. Half of us need to go into the portal that spawns, and half of us need to stay here and defend. If a Praetorian gains control, an Oracle will kill us. Then those who are inside of the Vex Timegate will be forever lost in the dark corners of time." 

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen," Morgan said. 

"There is a Gatekeeper through the gate, and you need to kill it and get a relic from it. Then come back. Then it's a repeat of the second Timegate."

"One fireteam holds, and the other goes through and then for the second it will be the reverse," Aaron said. 

"I have no clue what kind of connection will stay even between the G.A.R.C.I.A.s so don't freak out." 

"Morgan, you with Reid and me and we will go through the first Timegate. Hold this sync plate."

Rossi jumped into the sync plate, getting on top of the rock inside of it while Prentiss and JJ got as close to the rock and inside the sync plate as they could, watching opposite directions. It was about fifteen seconds of being in the sync plate, and then the Timegate opened up. Morgan took off at it and ran through. Spencer went next, and then Aaron followed. There were Precursor Goblins in the area. It looked like a bleak, desolate landscape before the Vex started to shape the planet or even Humanity. Spencer had no clue how far into the past they were. 

There was a Minotaur trying to protect the Gatekeeper. 

"Morgan you focus on killing everything. Spencer, you protect me. I'll take the Minotaur and the Gatekeeper out from a distance. Better to do that than get too close and have everything coming at us from behind."

"Solid plan," Morgan said, and he stepped toward the middle but protected from the fire of the Gatekeeper and the Minotaur. Spencer killed any Vex that came close to them. He checked on the Minotaur and saw that there were actually two of them. The first fell as he watched and Aaron focused on the second. When those were both dead, Aaron concentrated his shots on the Gatekeeper. A Goblin tried to sneak up behind them, but Spencer just shot him in the juicebox. The Gatekeeper started to come down from the area above to fire at them and try and kill them. 

As soon as the Gatekeeper fell, Spencer felt something take him over. 

"Marked by the Void!" G.A.R.C.I.A. yelled out.

Morgan took off at a sprint at the Relic that was dropped and there and he grabbed it to run back. Spencer's vision was darkening, the Void removing all light, even the light in Spencer's own helmet. Aaron ran through the gate first, and Spencer waited for Morgan to go through first before he followed. His vision cleared when he stepped through and Spencer could see. He realized though that it wasn't just leaving there that did it but instead it was the fact that he was close to Morgan before he had left. 

"Next plate?" Rossi asked. 

"Yes. Morgan, you need to go with Rossi with the Relic into the portal. That Relic will be the only thing that will your vision clear. Aaron you'll have to guard the sync plate, and I'll take protecting that." Spencer pointed at the Conflux that was forming. Rossi and Morgan sprinted across the area to the next plate while JJ, Prentiss, and Aaron went for the sync plate. Spencer set himself in the wake of the Conflux, ready to stop the Vex from sacrificing themselves to it. 

Spencer held the Conflux while the duo disappeared through the Timegate. The first Minotaur appeared and went right for Spencer. Aaron helped to cover him when he could, but Spencer knew that his best bet was not his guns but his sword. He drew it out and took out the first Minotaur with a few swipes at protected areas that the Minotaur needed to function. The world narrowed to the tracker and the red that appeared around it. He didn't focus on the other three but instead just killing what was coming to try and kill them all. The three were dealing with Praetorian Minotaurs who were trying to kill them, Spencer noticed when one of the Minotaurs headed for him had him turning that way. 

Morgan appeared first with Rossi right behind him five minutes later, there were more Vex to kill so the both of them joined Spencer at the Conflux while the other three started to spread out to kill everything. 

"What do we do with these?" Morgan asked. 

"I have no clue. Kabr's notes had nothing. Just stay here." Spencer sprinted away from the Conflux to look for where the RElics needed to go to summon Atheon. He prowled the outer edge of the room and found nothing. He turned to tell the team when he saw the Relics in Rossi and Morgan's hands disappearing and then the Conflux was gone seconds later. 

"Get to the edges," Spencer near yelled as he heard the sound of a Vex teleport happen. Spencer hid behind a pillar and looked around to see where Atheon was going to appear. He was going to appear on the platform at the base of the large glass area. 

Atheon started to fire as soon as he appeared. The team fired as they could as they were all strafed in sequence. They were all spread out enough to where five could shoot while the sixth was hiding to not die.

"Atheon's opening a timestream!" G.A.R.C.I.A. yelled, but it wasn't in time for them to do a damned thing. 

Spencer was teleported into another area, and G.A.R.C.I.A. threw up on his HUD that he was Marked by the Void. There was a not second between the HUD saying that and then it said that said Atheon was sending Supplicants. They were in a new area entirely. Before Spencer could get his bearings the sound of an Oracle appear had him looking for it.

"JJ and I will take the Oracles," Spencer said. 

"We will take everything else," Aaron said. 

Spencer started to fire at the Oracle. As soon as it was destroyed another gong went off and he and JJ moved to find the new. Six total were brought into the room, and they destroyed each one in seconds of it appearing. When no more emerged, they focused on killing the Supplicants. When all in the room were dead, they ran to the portal. 

Atheon was right there, and Spencer swapped to his Pulse Rifle to fire. 

"It's taking more damage than before," G.A.R.C.I.A. said. 

"Why?" Aaron asked. 

"Time's Vengeance," Spencer said. He hadn't understood what Kabr had meant by that. "When we destroyed the Oracles and SUpplicant's we activated something that Kabr called Time's Vengeance. Concentrate on Atheon until it ends.

As soon as it ended about thirty seconds after they exited the portal, Atheon opened another Timestream. They were pulled into it, and there was a Relic in that one. Morgan grabbed it, and as soon as they all got their bearings, Spencer realized that his vision was going. An Oracle appeared. This portal looked more like Venus where the other was Mars. 

"Morgan keep us cleared," Aaron said. 

"Got it." 

They destroyed the Oracles as they appeared and Morgan stayed closer to make sure that they could see to kill them. As soon as the last one was killed, G.A.R.C.I.A. started a countdown for the Time's Vengeance. They ran for the portal even though there were enemies that still alive in the portal. 

Once out into the room again they concentrated fire on Atheon. Aaron drew his Golden Gun at the second he exited the Portal as did Rossi. Spencer fired his Pulse Rifle but watched Rossi throw his flaming Hammers at Atheon. Hammers of Sol, Spencer knew they were called. He had never seen them in action before. When Time's Vengeance ended, they were teleported back into the desert wasteland portal. 

After the next teleportation and Oracle killing cycle, Morgan and JJ popped their supers. Morgan charging and striking Atheon while followed behind and shot Atheon with lighting from her Stormcaller super. 

The next cycle had Prentiss firing her Nightstalker bow as soon as she exited. It hit Atheon in he eye, and his whole frame shuddered. Spencer took off at a run to get a get hit with his Nova Bomb. Atheon recovered from the shot from the Void powered bow just as Spencer shot out his Bomb and hit Atheon. 

The Minotaur like Vex's frame shuddered, and it collapsed down with no power to hold it up. Spencer looked around, trying to figure out what to do next when the world went white. When his vision came back, they were at the area where they had started, and no enemies were around. 

"I think maybe we should leave as soon as possible," G.A.R.C.I.A. said. 

"Call the ships." 

"I hate long debriefs, and I think that maybe this one is going to be long as hell," Rossi said. 

The ships were there in minutes. Spencer dropped into the pilot seat and made sure that his team was onboard before he laid a plan to get away from Venus as quick as possible. 

"I have a plan to get in and out of that debrief quickly," Spencer said. 

"I knew that you were my favorite for a reason." 

Spencer laughed at Rossi's words. He turned toward Earth when he was sure that Rossi's was up with them. Spencer wanted to sleep for three days that would only happen if he got out of the debrief as quick as possible, showered, and get in bed, so he was going to make sure he got what he wanted, no matter what.

The End

**Author's Note:**

> I write fanfiction for fun. It's a hobby and a stress relief. I refuse to stress over my writing. What you see is what you get. Errors, plot holes, and all. Thank you for reading my story! 
> 
> I can be found on Facebook, [here](https://www.facebook.com/darkjediqueen) & my writing page is [here](https://www.facebook.com/darkjediqueenlair).
> 
> I WILL BE TAKING A MONTH LONG BREAK TO DO SOME PLOTTING ON THIS! Look back on the first Wednesday In November for the next story!


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